Secretariat
by Fallaby Z
Summary: She shouldn't have mattered to him, but she did. Her idiotic obsession with Sawada shouldn't have mattered either, but it did. And it pissed him off to no end. TYL!HibarixOCxTYL!Gokudera
1. The Secretariat is Demoted

I. Unrequited

She loved him.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, that is. He was just too involved in his work to notice the way her eyes followed him around...at least, that's what Tsuyuki convinced herself of Monday afternoon as she told Mr. Bellini that no, for the third time, Vongola X's Tuesday nights for the entire month and the month after were booked. In fact, every single one of his Tuesday nights would be booked until further notice.

Tuesday nights were Kyoko nights. Kyoko nights meant that the day of, Tsuna would come in to the base with a mixture of elation and nervousness scrawled across his face. He would worry aloud over whatever he was planning, and he'd ask Tsuyuki about the flowers, the date, the tie he was wearing. He'd be so distracted that he'd sign his contracts wrong and she'd have to redo them over for him. Eventually, Tuesdays became days in which he'd come into the office and she'd sit him down with a cup of tea and reassure him that he looked perfectly fine; that Kyoko would love anything he'd do, and if she didn't, she was clearly blind.

And he would just smile sheepishly, his eyes softening into bronze honey, his voice barely above a murmur: "You really think so?"

Kyoko, Tsuyuki thought, was the damn luckiest woman in the world.

For her, Tuesday nights were synonymous with sexy red wine and no one to share it with. Tsuyuki used to dress up with Haru and Bianchi for a night on the town, but after a time she just stayed at the base, organizing files between long sips of cheap, tinny-tasting grocery store wine. She was a driven secretary, after all.

It was almost masochistic, the way Tsuyuki helped Tsuna-san plan his Tuesday nights for the past eighteen months. Without fail, she'd choose a selection of flowers and date locations for her boss, laying out a nice outfit for him to wear later. But she couldn't help it; Tsuna had asked, so there was no way Tsuyuki could say no.

At the beginning, she wanted so badly to hate Kyoko, who treated Tsuyuki, a mere secretary, like her best friend. However, all Tsuyuki could think of when Tsuna would skip out the door precisely at 4 o'clock was that Kyoko was perfect, and so she deserved the best man any woman could ask for.

Kyoko was sweet, feminine, and petite, whereas Tsuyuki was tall, all legs and elbows with her plain, unruly black hair. Kyoko couldn't hurt an ant, while Tsuyuki could decapitate men three or four times her weight. Kyoko was a budding artist; Tsuyuki was a mafioso.

They couldn't have been any more different.

Thinking about it made her insides curl up inside unpleasantly, so Tsuyuki took a large gulp of coffee and swallowed the bitterness down.

"Tsuna-san, it's almost Tuesday," she reminded him. "We haven't planned anything yet. Anything in mind?"

When the man stayed silent, brooding at his desk, Tsuyuki looked up from her laptop screen worriedly. "Boss?"

"Well..." A shred of hesitancy lingered in his eyes. "Tsuyuki..." He fidgeted, one hand going to feel his cufflinks on one sleeve-not a good sign. "...I really do appreciate you going out of your way to help me, for so long, but...I was thinking that I'd like to plan my own dates from now on. If you don't mind."

"Oh." Mortified, the secretary closed her laptop abruptly, feeling like someone had just punched her in the gut.

_He hates me._

_I'm third-wheeling their relationship._

Guiltily, Tsuna scrambled to console her, but it was a futile effort and just made me feel even more pathetic. "It's not that I don't think you don't help, Tsuyuki, I just kind of want to, you know, do things my own way." He smiled lopsidedly. "You understand, don't you?"

_Don't butt in_, in other words. _Go away. You're just a secretary._

Nothing more, nothing less.

Strictly business.

Tsuyuki exhaled slowly.

There was no way she could let Vongola X leave with a guilty conscience. Pasting her business smile on her face, Tsuyuki tucked her laptop under her arm and stood. "Oh, don't worry about it, Boss, I don't mind at all! Have fun tomorrow, okay?" She wouldn't let her two-year partnership with Vongola X be destroyed by her own mistake.

Tsuna-san's face melted into a relieved grin, and she found herself trembling as she fought against the urge to break down and sob. "Great. Thanks, Tsuyu. You're the best secretary I could ever ask for."

Laughing distantly, Tsuyuki muttered an excuse and rushed out of the office as fast as she could in stilettos, rounding the corner and shutting herself into the nearest room available. Not even stopping to find a chair, she sat down with a thump by the door, mind reeling and a sob choking its way up her throat.

_Was I too overbearing? Was I too nosy? Did I overstep my boundaries? Oh God, he hates me he hates me he hates me-_

_He loves her, not you. Never you._

"Calm down, I'm getting heart palpitations just by hearing you hyperventilate."

The secretary jumped with a squeak, turning to find Reborn sitting in an armchair, flipping a page in his book. She glanced around the room, seeing the familiar bookshelves and the overly-neat desk that could only belong to the hitman.

"Sorry for barging in," Tsuyuki muttered guiltily, wiping away the tears that had escaped from her eyes. "I needed a place to...calm down."

"I see that," he answered easily, turning to the next page. "Is it because of Tsuna?" From this response, it was obvious that Tsuna had gone to consult Reborn about it. _I screwed up really bad, didn't I?_ Tsuyuki thought wearily.

She nodded, feeling weepy again. "I feel so bad. I truly didn't mean to-I was just trying to help-"

Reborn cut her off. "Listen up, Nagahara: I have a special mission for you."

Abruptly, the tears in Tsuyuki's eyes dried up as she swallowed and blinked, attention effectively diverted. "What?" Reborn didn't call her by her surname very often.

The hitman had that devious little glint that simply meant that he was up to no good. "Kusakabe Tetsuya is out due to a broken leg. You're going to play slave, I mean, secretary, to Hibari Kyoya."

"Pardon?" Hibari Kyoya? _Hibari Kyoya?_ The Cloud Guardian with no respect for his superiors?

He barely acknowledged Tsuna-san, for one, and Tsuyuki simply couldn't recognize him as anything but a hoodlum running amok. "Reborn, I refuse. You're just using the fact that I'm in a state of emotional distress-"

"It might make Tsuna forgive you."

Tsuyuki clamped her mouth shut as Reborn grinned at her victoriously over his book. _Damn._ _He got me there._

Reborn hopped out of his chair, leaving the secretary speechless in his office. "You start tomorrow. Better get ready."

_Oh God._

_So while Tsuna-san's out enjoying his romantic date with Kyoko, I'll be groveling to the asswipe of the century._

Whiskey. She needed some whiskey. _Now._

* * *

Aside from seeing (the lack of) him at weekly meetings and occasionally around the base, Tsuyuki had no real contact with Hibari Kyoya. All she knew was that he was a year older than her, followed his own rules, was a total bastard, and was easily one of the most powerful members of the Vongola family. Maybe even in the whole mafia world.

At any rate, he was not one to be messed with. Quickly, Tsuyuki glanced down at her conservative dress suit and the sakuramochi she'd brought as a gift. There was nothing wrong with sakuramochi; it was perfect for springtime, not to mention it was super expensive. Even Hibari Kyoya, with his massive mansion, couldn't complain about fifty-dollar mochi. (Despite her emotional breakdown an hour earlier, Tsuyuki was nonetheless an experienced diplomat and a master of social etiquette.)

Taking a deep breath, she knocked at the door that separated Tsuna-san's side of the base with Hibari Kyoya's.

Silence.

Tsuyuki waited a good fifteen minutes before strolling in, making sure to take her black heels off and stacking them carefully by the foyer.

The sprawling salon, covered in green tatami and decorated minimally with the occasional calligraphy scroll or green plant, was completely empty. The various porcelain vases carefully placed throughout the room were obviously of high grade. Tsuyuki wondered if Hibari was secretly an artistic sort of man.

The paper door rustled as a shadow flitted by.

Sliding the door open slowly, Tsuyuki peeked out to find a beautiful traditional Japanese garden, filled with stone posts, carefully groomed trees, and a koi pond. The shadow was from a yellow bird, which flitted from branch to branch before stopping to look at her curiously. It cocked its head at the woman, and she grinned at it, relaxing.

_How cute._

It opened its beak, only to chirp, "Hibari! Hibari!"

At the same moment, Tsuyuki felt the icy feel of some metal at the back of her neck press firmly into her skin, a man's deep baritone ringing out from behind her. "Get out."

Reflexes kicking in, the secretary spun around defensively, her briefcase dropping to the floor and the pink sakuramochi tumbling out of its expensive packaging.

After catching her breath from the startling sight of the Cloud Guardian in front of her, the woman steeled herself for introductions.

"I am Nagahara Tsuyuki, the replacement for Kusakabe Tetsuya, as per Reborn's orders. I will be in your care from this day forward." Defiant, Tsuyuki tilted her chin up, unwilling to be intimidated by the daggers shooting out of his eyes. As a mafioso secretary, she was accustomed to facing and negotiating with gruff, frankly terrifying men larger than her. However, Hibari Kyoya seemed to take the cake.

Tsuyuki was quite tall for a Japanese woman, but Hibari Kyoya easily topped her height by an entire head, if not more. He seemed even taller with the way he carried himself, poised to attack. Dressed in loose robes, he held her gaze readily, assessing the woman in silence.

When Tsuyuki refused to squirm under his steely eyes, Hibari Kyoya turned his menacing glare away from her face and onto the sticky dessert lying on the floor.

"Oh." Immediately, she stooped to collect the mochi, now beyond eating. _Fifty dollars_, Tsuyuki chanted sorrowfully in her head. _Should've gone for the cheap stuff. _"I apologize. It was supposed to be a gift...sakuramochi, what with springtime and all-"

Hibari Kyoya slammed the secretary into the wall, the anger radiating off of him visibly in waves now. His speed was unbelievable, and Tsuyuki felt her knees buckle, her breath knocked out of me in one shot. "Don't show your face here again," he hissed.

_Yep, he definitely takes the cake._

Shaking slightly, Tsuyuki coughed, blinking away the spots of pain that had appeared in her eyes as she struggled to stay upright. "Reborn said-"

He interrupted her with a pound to the wall, jolting her to attention. "I don't care what the baby said. Get out, herbivore, and take _that_ with you." Just as abruptly, Hibari Kyoya let the woman go, walking back into the shadows of the hallway without even a backwards glance.

_This is horrible. I want to go home. Why do I have to deal with this?_

_No. I can't fail here. I promised Reborn-Tsuna-san-_

Indignantly, Tsuyuki struggled to her feet. "No."

He stopped. "_No?_" The syllable was threatening.

She swallowed. It was Tuesday night. Kyoko night. She pictured Tsuna and Kyoko enjoying a nice picnic or a dinner or a movie date together...but she would never know for sure now, would she? "No." Her voice was strong, confident.

Tsuyuki saw his fingers clench around his tonfa and took a step back reflexively.

"I'll give you time to cool off, but I'm coming back in two days at eight o'clock sharp." Staunchly, Tsuyuki stooped to pick up her briefcase and the fallen mochi, leaving Hibari Kyoya as quickly as she could.

_Keep your back straight. Don't seem like you're afraid. Don't let him look down on you. You absolutely cannot let him intimidate you. You must not give up._

_Failure is unacceptable._

She needed to do some major research.

* * *

After finding Kusakabe Tetsuya's address, Tsuyuki stopped by his house with a bag full of oranges and Vitamin C drinks. He answered but didn't seem surprised to see the secretary, even in her extremely disheveled state.

"I'm here to ask for advice about..." she glanced around her shiftily. "_You-Know-Who._"

The man laughed uproariously. "He's not Voldemort, Tsuyuki-san. He's not _that_ bad." The woman rolled her eyes, and he reconsidered. "Okay, he's pretty bad."

"Right, so since I have to cope with the demon for," Tsuyuki glanced down at his leg (which was encased in a huge cast), "a couple weeks-"

"A month," Kusakabe amended.

_Damn._ "That's right, so we'd better get started." Strolling past him, she set the oranges and drinks onto his kitchen table and turned around. "Okay, what are his likes and dislikes? Quirks? Things that he has you do day-to-day? And most of all, what's his weakness?" He _had_ to have a weakness. Everyone had a weakness.

"He likes traditional things, Hibird-that's his yellow bird, Nanimori Middle, and his hedgehogs. He hates illusionists, crowding, and generally most types of people-oh, and cherry blossoms," Kusakabe listed off. "He _really_ hates cherry blossoms."

"So _that's _why he reacted so badly to the sakuramochi," Tsuyuki groaned. _My fifty dollars..._

Kusakabe looked at the secretary admiringly. "Wow. And you're still going back? For what reason?"

"Well..." she picked at her fingernails subconsciously. "It's kind of...a favor."

He whistled appreciatively. "That must be some kind of debt."

"Sure...but more importantly, what's his weakness?"

Kusakabe Tetsuya shrugged, replying immediately. "He has none."

"None?" Shocked, Tsuyuki leaned forward disbelievingly. "You're kidding."

"I'm not." Clearly, the guy was confident. "I've known Kyo-san for most of my life, and he's never led me to believe otherwise."

"Hm..." she thought hard. "Is he gay?"

Half-shocked and half-amused, Kusakabe spluttered into one of the Vitamin C drinks, spraying it all over the kitchen counter. "Where did _that_ come from?"

Tsuyuki shrugged. "I don't know. It's usually the answer to everything."

"Um, I'm pretty sure he's asexual, if anything..."

"Hm...Well, keep on talking."

Kusakabe Tetsuya looked weary all of a sudden. "I have over twelve years of documentation on this, Tsuyuki-san..."

She shrugged, taking out her notebook and a pen. "I have time. It's a Tuesday."

"Then grab a seat. The good thing is, not too much has changed since he was sixteen..."

* * *

Hours later, Tsuyuki entered her apartment armed with several bulging plastic bags and thirty pages full of notes on Hibari Kyoya. She kicked off her heels haphazardly behind herself, strolling past the red wine and straight to her desk computer, Kusakabe-san's words still ringing in her head:

"_You need to cook for him. Kyo-san's never touched a frying pan in his life, and I've been the only one in the committee that could fix him a satisfactory meal. If you're a good enough cook, he'll let you stick around long enough to whip up something to eat. He likes traditional items..."_

"_The three things most important to him are the school, Roll, and Hibird. Get the pets on your side."_

Stooping over the keyboard, Tsuyuki searched up a list of Hibari Kyoya's favorite recipes and began printing them out as she unpacked ten bags of various ingredients as well as a small sack of very expensive bird feed. Exhausted, she collapsed on her couch, listening to the printer spit out pages upon pages detailing the instructions to "creating the perfect Japanese dish!"

She glanced at the clock: 12:00 a.m.

It was Wednesday morning.

This had better be worth it.


	2. The Secretariat is Replaced

II. Replaced

"Hayato, can you please explain why you're sitting at _my_ desk doing _my_ work?" Leaning on the doorjamb, Tsuyuki arched an eyebrow at the silver-haired man.

She'd rehearsed her entrance perfectly: with a plate of chocolate chip cookies, she'd breeze through the door naturally and share the cookies with Boss, who'd instantly warm up to her a little bit more, and then she'd brazen through the day like a seasoned brown-noser. Well, that plan went down the drain when Tsuyuki arrived to an empty office save for _the mafioso who was at her desk doing work he wasn't supposed to do_.

Gokudera Hayato and Tsuyuki had a sort of complicated relationship. They quarrelled too much to be considered friends, having to fight for Boss's attention like cats and dogs, but they weren't enemies, either. They had a grudging acquaintance that was sometimes too close for comfort. (There may or may not have been a couple of drunken moments in the past that she only vaguely remembered...)

Hayato removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose irritably. "Just think of it as a vacation, okay? The 10th talked to me about it, and we both agreed that it would be best for you to concentrate on helping Hibari out."

"He's demoting me," Tsuyuki whispered brokenly, placing the cookies on her desk distantly. "He hates me, doesn't he?"

"Maybe," Hayato commented unconcernedly as he reached over to pluck a cookie from under the saran wrap. "Or, _maybe_ he just thinks he involved you in too many unnecessary aspects of his personal life, and he wants you to catch a break so he can get his own shit under wraps."

"But that doesn't change that I have to deal McCranky every day and that you'll be doing a crap job on the work I'm supposed to do," she whined indignantly. "Why did you have to replace me, you big poobrain?"

"Hey, I could do this half-asleep," Hayato argued back, "and it'd still be better than anything you'd come up with."

"I'm wearing heels," Tsuyuki warned the man, seething. "So watch it, dynamo. And let's see _you_ speak fluent Russian next time Ivankov calls."

Hayato rolled his eyes. "Just go home, Tsuyuki. You're not needed here."

_Not needed here?_ The (former) secretariat squeaked wordlessly as her arms flailed around desperately and Hayato rolled his eyes, as if to say "Drama queen". _This is a bleeding nightmare._

"You little backstabber," she spat out, feeling tears form in her eyes again for the _second_ time that week. "You know how much I like him, but you still agreed to replace me? How could you?"

"Get over it," he replied as he returned his focus to the computer screen. "You're just a secretary, and Boss only has eyes for Kyoko-san." He smirked. "Besides, I can only accept Kyoko-san as the next wife: she's petite and pretty, whereas the only remotely feminine things about you are your legs."

_Like I don't know already_. "You are so insensitive," Tsuyuki sniffed, "I stayed up the entire night cooking and I'm on my period and I tried really hard on my makeup today and I hope you go bald and _die_!" Taking the platter of cookies, she stomped out of the office and slammed the door loudly, muffling Hayato's protests.

* * *

She ended up going to Hibari's house near tears.

He was going to kill her, but at this point in the day, death started to seem like a viable option.

Tsuyuki was going to walk in, give the little brat a piece of her mind, and willingly offer herself up to be chopped to pieces.

_I'm replaced. I'm replaced. I'm replaced. I'm replaced._ These two words echoed in the caverns of Tsuyuki's head, bouncing off the walls of her mind, gleefully taunting her and her incompetence.

_Stupid Hibari. It's all his fault._ Somehow, he was an easy scapegoat to blame.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Tsuyuki pushed open the door to his side of the base and kicked her favorite black heels off forlornly, dropping her briefcase near the door and the platter of cookies on the low table with a loud clatter.

Hibari would probably come out seething at this point. She didn't really care.

Heading straight into the hallway, Tsuyuki stopped short when her nose caught onto a heavy, cloying smell. _Is that...Chinese food?_

Tsuyuki loved Chinese, but this reeked of rotting takeout and was simply nauseating. Gagging, she followed the foul odor down the hallway and into a separate corridor, which finally led her to the dirtiest, most disgusting kitchen she'd ever laid her eyes upon.

Soiled paper cartons with remnants of chow mein, orange chicken, and other greasy foods littered the counters. The sink was stuffed with oily kitchenware and chopsticks. An Everest of disposable chopsticks was shoved to one corner of the counter, and the trash bin was overflowing. Several flies had made themselves at home near the garbage and were buzzing around happily.

Feeling sick, the secretary immediately dashed to open the windows, breathing heavily as she inhaled as much fresh air as possible. _How can someone live here?_

Cleaning supplies. Gas mask. She needed some weapons.

Might as well take care of that pent-up stress.

* * *

Tsuyuki returned to Hibari's place a half hour later dressed comfortably in an old t-shirt, gym shorts, and a pair of neon green flip flops. Along with her came a large carton of cleaning supplies.

Unceremoniously kicking Hibari's door open, Tsuyuki put on a face mask before strolling into the nasty kitchen, armed with rubber gloves and several extra large trash bags. Rapidly clearing the counter of what looked like a week's worth of filthy dinner remains, she began scrubbing the tiles with a generous amount of cleaner. Soon, the entire kitchen smelled of fresh air and citrus.

Once most of the greasiness had been removed and the trash had been stuffed down the garbage chute, Tsuyuki tackled the dishes, filling the sink up with fluffy bubbles and humming randomly to songs she heard at home on the radio. Presently enough, the secretary got too comfortable being alone in the house and gradually began singing louder.

_I never know if you're serious_

_It's all so vague and mysterious_

_With me and you_

_Just when I think we're on solid ground_

_You pull the rug out and knock me down* _

"Who let you in?"

Surprised, Tsuyuki jumped in fright, the sudsy chopsticks she was holding slipping from her fingers and clattering loudly in the sink. Seeing Hibari glaring at her as he leaned on the doorjamb deflated Tsuyuki's entire being, reminding her of the awful events that had occurred hours before.

Irritated, the secretary turned her back to him and picked up the fallen chopsticks. "Your nasty kitchen did," she retorted tartly, uncaring of the consequences her words brought upon her. At this point, the woman didn't really care. "You shouldn't eat so much Chinese food, or you'll get fat."

"I thought I told you to get out."

Tsuyuki stifled a shiver as she felt Hibari's breath ghost threateningly near the back of my neck. How the man moved so silently, she would never know.

The tension was abruptly diffused, however, when Hibari's stomach rumbled loudly. Although his expression didn't change, something in his eyes flickered, reflecting something that was probably a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

She couldn't help bursting into laughter. Flustered-But-Not-Really-Flustered Hibari seemed a lot friendlier than Stick-Up-His-Ass Hibari. "If you want lunch, you'll have to sit yourself down outside while I go grocery shopping," Tsuyuki chorused gleefully, happy to have a piece of leverage over Hibari's head.

"I don't need your help," Flustered-But-Not-Really hissed out from gritted teeth just as a gruff voice called out from outside the corridor, "Kyo-san, I picked up lunch today! It's Chinese takeout!"

Even Hibari Kyoya couldn't hide his distaste for the already-pungent scent of seasoning wafting into the room. Tsuyuki smirked victoriously.

"Is mackerel okay?" she sang as the woman practically skipped past him and into the hallway, almost colliding with a man with the same hairstyle of Kusakabe Tetsuya's. Another underling, she figured as she bowed politely, leaving him with a stunned expression in the corridor.

Of course mackerel would be okay. It was Hibari Kyoya's favorite food, and Tsuyuki had practiced cooking it all night.

The day was sort of looking up.

* * *

As Hibari Kyoya sat eating his mackerel silently, Tsuyuki picked at her own fish's bones while glancing forlornly at her smartphone. Usually, the phone was ringing off the hook with phone calls, text messages, and e-mail alerts. Today, the only alert she received was an ad for a clothing sale.

Bored, the ex-secretariat clicked on the link, scrolling through the pictures of the short, cute girls with their fluffy hairstyles and pastel-colored outfits. Outfits that would never suit her.

She hadn't realized that she'd sighed aloud until Hibari grumbled, "Your whining is grating on my nerves."

He had finished the mackerel, the rice, and the side dishes Tsuyuki prepared for him, scraping the dishes squeaky clean. Even the small success didn't raise her spirits.

Tsuyuki collected the plates silently, receding into the kitchen to wash them.

When she finished, Tsuyuki checked her phone again.

No missed calls.

Not even a text message.

Suddenly, Tsuyuki found herself yearning for Tsuna-san's voice, his smile, their afternoon tea breaks together. Instead, she was playing cook for a mute ball of fury that glared at her every time they made eye contact. It was an uncomfortable sensation.

Roughly, she wiped my eyes on the back of her sleeve and turned to find Hibari Kyoya leaning on the kitchen doorjamb again, watching the woman silently.

His eyes mercilessly dissected the secretary, from her rumpled clothing to her disheveled hair, which had long fallen out of its neat bun, lingering over Tsuyuki's stinging eyes. It was a cold, brutal assessment of her glaring weaknesses, and it just made her feel even worse.

His eyebrows creased. She put the last of the dishes away into the cupboard. It seemed that Tsuyuki had overstayed her welcome. "There are some leftovers in the fridge if you want to heat it up for dinner. I'll be back tomorrow," she muttered forlornly, wiping her hands on the soft washcloth nearby.

So this is what she'd been reduced to because of her silly prying. From a Secretariat to a maid.

Bitterly, Tsuyuki pushed past Hibari and ran away from his house, one hand clutching her bucket of tools and the other furiously dialing a number on her phone.

The call connected after two rings. _"Gokudera speaking."_

"It's Tsuyuki. I was wondering if you needed any help-"

Gokudera's voice was brusque as it cut hers off. _"No, it's all good here. Just do your job, Yuki."_ His words couldn't have hurt more than it did then, jabbing into her throat silently as she muttered her goodbyes.

_How can I do my job when you're taking it away from me?_

****Song excerpt from Tip Toes by Jayme Dee.**


	3. The Secretariat Gets the News

**Here's a little tidbit before I'm off to finals! Removed the A/N that used to be Chapter 3. Here are some updates for those who didn't review on the author's note from yesterday.**

**(1) The story is now a HibarixTsuyukixHayato story! I got mixed results on the poll (though it was in favor of Tsubari =D) so I wanted to compromise because it gives me more freedom and gives you guys something more interesting to read!**

**(2) As per a reader's request, I switched things up to be in 3rd persion. Chapters 1 and 2 are updated with several changes made to them, so I encourage you to go back and skim them. Let me know if there are any mistakes I didn't catch. :)**

**(3) If you didn't read the A/N but would still like to vote on the poll, go ahead. I'm going to keep it open until the end of the story so I can see how you guys are liking which pairing.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

III. Tears

The news arrived just as the second week of Operation Hibari was about to begin.

By then, Hibari had grudgingly allowed Tsuyuki into his base to cook and clean, but nothing more. She would not dwell at his side as he ate silently, choosing to walk the gardens with his little yellow bird instead. He did not utter a word of thanks to the secretary.

He hadn't mellowed out in the least, either. If Tsuyuki made one mistake, like forgetting the fruit or slicing his sandwiches vertically instead of diagonally (the man was quite picky with his food), he would explode in a quiet, stormy rage. As time dragged on, Tsuyuki found herself getting more irritated with the infernal man as well. She was the Secretariat, the busy working woman who could do anything and everything when it came to mafia administration. She was respected in the Vongola and revered by secretaries around the world, yet in a blink of an eye, she was demoted to Hibari Kyoya's cook and scapegoat.

He seemed to think of her as a lowly, weak being, calling her "herbivore" and constantly reminding her of their gaping differences in ability. That alone bugged Tsuyuki more than it should have, though she made sure to keep her wits about him; it would do no good to start a fight with him, much less one that she was sure she wouldn't win.

Then the news came, in the form of a phone call.

Hibari was there when she picked up, noticing the way her entire expression brightened and the way she spoke eagerly into the phone.

"Yes, hello, Tsuyuki speaking." Then, like a flickering light bulb, Tsuyuki's smile dimmed until it faded entirely, an empty, hollow look replacing the joy in her eyes.

"I see." Her voice was still calm but her face told a different story. "Congratulations." The words felt like lead against her tongue, but she forced them out all the same.

"When's the wedding?"

Tsuna's voice rang out blissfully next to her ear, completely oblivious to the brittle texture of her own. _"We want to get married as soon as possible, so in three months, tops. We've just been waiting for so long, you know? And Kyoko's so excited...and actually, that's why I'm calling you."_

_So if it weren't for Kyoko, you wouldn't be calling me at all?_ Tsuyuki thought silently as she listened.

"_I know you're technically on leave right now, but Kyoko and I would be so pleased if you could help plan our wedding. You're the best at that sort of thing."_

She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, Tsuyuki was overjoyed. On the other, she was completely, thoroughly heartbroken.

In fact, she felt like a tool. Somebody that was pushed around at another's convenience. The feeling clawed at her throat, but Tsuyuki couldn't bring herself to refuse in the end. She never could. Even if she wasn't as valuable of a secretary as she'd previously surmised. Even if her bonds with Tsuna weren't as strong as others'.

"Yeah, sure. Let me know-" Her voice cracked embarrassingly, and Tsuyuki coughed before continuing. "-when she wants to meet up."

"_Thanks, Tsuyuki. I know I can always count on you."_ The line cut off.

The compliment didn't make her heart flutter like it used to. Instead, her stomach seemed to twist itself into a painful knot, deep within her body.

Tsuyuki stared at her phone silently, her brown eyes lifelessly boring holes into the screen. "It hurts a lot more than I thought it would," she whispered to herself. Even though she subconsciously knew that it would never really work out, Tsuyuki had still carried a faint hope that maybe, one day, Tsuna would turn around one day and see her and realize that she was the one for him all along...

...but she was no princess. And he was someone else's Prince Charming now.

Hibari shocked her out of her stupor by speaking, breaking the long silence. "You're incredibly stupid," he commented as he finished his meal, his chopsticks clattering loudly against the rice bowl.

Tsuyuki laughed hollowly, feeling a lone tear escaping from the corner of her eye. She wiped it away quickly, hoping that he hadn't seen. "For once, you're completely right."

Hibari was silent after that. He didn't comfort her, but he stood to wash his own dishes for once, rinsing them lightly and placing them in the dishwasher. Then, he quietly retreated further inside the base, leaving Tsuyuki alone.

* * *

Back at home, Tsuyuki was on her third bottle of beer when Hayato called. She glanced at the phone hazily, wondering whether to answer the call. She did in the end, angrily jabbing at the screen and answering tiredly.

"Here to laugh at me?"

He snorted in response. _"Here to check up on you."_ Hayato paused. _"Have you been drinking?"_

"So what if I have been? I'm not in the mood to argue with you," she bit out through gritted teeth. "Go away and let me be by myself."

He was getting irritated as well, she could tell, but he kept his temper in check. _"I'm not trying to antagonize you,"_ Hayato sighed. _"Tsuyuki, alcohol isn't going to solve your problems. At the very least, get Haru or Bianchi to talk to you."_

When she didn't answer, he scratched his head awkwardly. _"Look, I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but...seriously, Yuki. You're being weird."_

At this, Tsuyuki dissolved into loud, angry tears. "How could I _not_ be? I've loved that guy for four years! I'd _die_ for him, and now he's getting married to the most perfect girl in the universe!" She hiccuped as she downed the rest of the alcohol. "It's all your fault, you stupid idiot! If you didn't...if you didn't butt in and steal my job, it all would've been fine!"

"_No, it wouldn't have been, and you know it,"_ Hayato replied, his voice warming with his own agitation. _"Tsuyuki, you're clearly being irrational. Sober up. I'm coming over." _

The line dropped, and Tsuyuki sat on the floor of her flat in the dark, toying with a bottle cap. Was she being irrational?

She didn't want to think about it. All she knew was that Hayato was being a smartass about the entire situation, and that on top of everything else, it hurt.

Tsuyuki was raised in a battle-hardened family. Her father used to tell her that pain was nothing but an illusion: a weakness that one just had to overcome. But this pain was different. It didn't come from a strike to the stomach or a broken bone. It came from something deeper, and Tsuyuki despised the feeling of it curling up in her chest.

"Why can't I let go?" she asked herself aloud in the darkness. "Why does it have to be like this?"

The doorbell rang.

Slowly, Tsuyuki got to her feet to open the door. Hayato stood there, his eyes hooded with guilt. They faced each other silently for a few moments. He spoke first, continuing their conversation over the phone.

"Boss bought the ring a little over three months ago. I helped him pick it out."

"And you never thought to tell me?" Tsuyuki croaked, her eyes and throat stinging from crying.

He shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, one hand fidgeting with his watch. "I didn't really know how."

"Is it really that difficult?" Tsuyuki laughed harshly in disbelief. "You, of all people, have a hard time being _honest_?"

"Would it have made any difference?" Now Hayato's voice was rising as well, and several neighbors were poking their heads out of their apartments to watch. "You want your truth? Here it is: Boss will never love you. He'll never understand you, he'll never truly know what you're thinking because as nice as he is and as much as I respect him, he is oblivious. He only has eyes for Kyoko-san, not you, never you. There. There's your stupid truth. Tell me, would it hurt any less if I told you earlier?"

Tsuyuki stared at him, mouth slightly ajar, her swollen eyes welling up again with tears. She snapped her mouth shut as she wiped them away fiercely, though they came back with renewed vigor. So she settled with staring at the floor, willing the tears not to fall from her eyes.

Hayato became aware of the accumulating audience in the corridor and coughed, putting his arm around Tsuyuki's shoulder and hauling her inside the apartment. The room was lowly lit and her usually immaculate flat was a mess of crumpled clothing, snacks, and empty liquor bottles. He became aware during his inspection that Tsuyuki was shaking as she began crying again, not loudly like she did over the phone, but so softly that he had to strain to hear her hiccups.

He had originally planned on scolding her for drinking before taking her out to eat. He was an able and eloquent speaker, after all, and had a knack with conversing with angry people. He hadn't wanted to shout at her, but he couldn't stop himself.

"I don't understand...why it hurts...so much..." she whispered brokenly. "I'm better than this. I'm not a baby. I shouldn't be crying this much." He didn't know if she was talking to him or to the world in general.

It was like he was a teenager again. He couldn't find any kind of comforting words to say as he stood silently next to Tsuyuki in the darkness, watching her shoulders shake and wondering how such a tall, strong girl could seem so small, weak, and broken in that one moment.

Hayato patted her back awkwardly. "I-I didn't mean to yell." He found the word "sorry" hard to say, but she understood anyway, nodding before choking on another sob. She buried her wet face in his suit jacket.

It was a $3000 suit, but he didn't push her away.

* * *

_* HUGE ASS AUTHOR'S NOTE BELOW, PLEASE READ * _

_Hey, so what did you think? Is the Tsuyato grating on your nerves yet? hahahaha most of you guys are Hibari fans so don't worry, Hibari will appear just as often as Hayato. I dread writing his sections, though, because he is a pain in the rear to write since he barely talks and when he does, it's never normal. Even so, Hibari IS my favorite KHR character, so I really can't give him up. :P_

_Anyhow, I hope you guys understand why I included an overwhelming amount of Hayato in this chapter in comparison to Hibari. Hibari is NOT an emotional type of person; he doesn't give a rat's ass about romance, much less Tsuyuki's "horrible" life, so why the heck would he try to comfort her? However, his move regarding washing the dishes on his own and leaving Tsuyuki alone might hint to a slight, very subtle change. Maybe._

_In comparison, Tsuyuki and Hayato have a closer, cat-dog relationship, but at this point in his life, Hayato is mature enough to acknowledge that Tsuyuki's deeply hurt, so he tries to comfort her because he's really a huge softie on the inside (DEM GOKUDERA FEELS). Not to mention, he feels a twinge of guilt for keeping the proposal from her. One thing to clarify though, he's not in love with her...just sympathetic to her situation._

_Anyway I ain't changing it, because I like the way it showcases the contrast in their personalities. __Hope this clears some possible questions up. (I kinda think you guys would hate this chapter, hence the explanations, but SORRY I'M NOT SORRY)_

_Thanks to all who have reviewed/favorited/followed/read these 3 chapters and helped me out on my decision with the pairings. Let's keep the awesome feedback up, yeah?_


	4. The Secretariat Screws Up

IV. The Secretariat Screws Up

Tsuyuki woke up tucked snugly in her bed, dried tears crusting on her cheeks and in her eyes. She felt like she had just run a marathon as she crawled out of bed, exhausted.

Hayato was nowhere to be found, but there was warm rice porridge in the microwave. There was no note of who left it, but then again, she didn't need a name to know who was her benefactor.

Suddenly, Hayato seemed like a nicer person. He was gruff, but she grew up in a gruff family anyway.

"Itadakimasu," she murmured quietly, digging in with a large soup spoon. It had been a long time since she'd cried so much, but even though it was emotionally taxing, she felt liberated in a way. The pain hadn't disappeared, but she had become resigned to it.

Her phone vibrated next to her, Bianchi's face appearing on the screen. Tsuyuki answered it tiredly but in a better mood than the day before. "Hey, Bianchi."

Bianchi was clearly worried and jumped straight to the point. _"Sweetie, Hayato just told me the news. How are you holding up?"_ There was a stagnant pause. _"He said you were crying an awful lot."_

_Dammit, Hayato!_ Flustered, Tsuyuki took some time before replying. "...Yeah. I feel a little better though. Just...depressed. And I'm not sure how I'm going to hold up being their wedding planner."

_"They asked you to be their _wedding planner_?" _Bianchi moaned incredulously. _"Good Lord...I'm sorry, honey. This must be so hard."_

"Yeah." Tsuyuki took a deep breath. No more tears. Yesterday was an exception, but she would cry no more. "What should I do? It's so hard to just...forget. And I'm not about to start pining after a married man."

_"Well...maybe you just have to fall in love with someone else,"_ Bianchi suggested.

"You make it sound so easy," Tsuyuki snorted. "Too many men have height complexes."

_"Hey, I'm sure Yamamoto would be up for dinner or a baseball game or something."_

"Yamamoto? He's way too nice to be used as rebound."

_"Well, it'd be okay if you just, you know, fell in love with him..."_ When there was only unamused silence on Tsuyuki's end, Bianchi switched tactics. _"Fine. Then let's go partying, pick up some guys, have some sex. How long has it been since last you got laid?"_

"Sleeping with strangers is just going to make things worse. At any rate, I have to start working again," Tsuyuki argued, brushing off Bianchi's suggestions with practiced ease. Bianchi was a proud, beautiful woman confident in her sexuality who played men like it was going out of style. Tsuyuki, on the other hand, felt awkward in noisy clubs and couldn't even bring herself to dance with strangers. "Maybe if I just work my butt off, I'll be back in my usual groove."

_"Spoilsport."_ Bianchi sighed. _"You're in your twenties, honey, this is your golden age! If you work all the time, you'll grow old and you'll never find a nice, long-term boyfriend, much less marry-"_

Tuning her friend out, Tsuyuki kept the call on but went to check her email, and then her text messages. She scrolled past the various comforting/checking-up-on-you messages from Haru and Chrome before landing on a message from an unfamiliar number.

'_Hi, Nagahara-san, this is Kyoko. Sorry for texting you so early in the morning. I hope you're doing well. I was wondering if we could meet up today to discuss wedding plans...If it's okay with you, that is. Let me know, okay? Thanks! -Kyoko'_

_"Oi, Tsuyuki? Are you listening to me?"_ Bianchi asked loudly as Tsuyuki stared blankly into the distance. _"Tsuyuki?"_

"Sorry. I just...I really don't know what to do now," Tsuyuki muttered. "Kyoko texted me. She wants to meet today to talk about...wedding stuff."

"_Ohhhh."_

"Yeah."

"_I think you should take a rain check, Tsuyuki_,_"_ Bianchi cautioned gently. _"It's not that I don't trust you, but...I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it yet. It's only been a day."_

They ended the call there, but Tsuyuki still hesitated over the text message.

"You have to move on, Tsuyuki," she told herself. "You can handle this. You can totally handle this."

She fired out a text message. _'Hey Kyoko! I have to go to Hibari's today but I'm free later in the afternoon. When's a good time for you?'_

Instantly, she received a reply. _'I'll be done with my classes by 2. There's a cozy little coffee shop around the corner from the art school. It's called Galleria. Can we meet there at around 2:15? My treat. :-)'_

Tsuyuki inhaled deeply. _'Sure. See you then.'_

* * *

Tsuyuki slipped on her favorite pair of heels before leaving the apartment. They were smooth, supple, made in Italy with real black leather, and had cost a fortune. She didn't exactly need the extra height (they made her as tall as Hayato), but they were her favorite shoes for a reason. She stood straighter in them and felt prouder in them. They gave her hips an alluring sway when she wanted to catch someone's attention (the only one impervious to it was, of course, Tsuna), and they provided her with a feminine edge when she wanted to intimidate someone.

Today, they gave her confidence. Confidence to face the woman that she wanted to hate the most in the world, but somehow couldn't.

She purposely took the longer route when driving to Hibari's, dreading her appointment with Kyoko.

Surprisingly, he was waiting for her in the sitting room right as she entered the base. At least, she had a feeling he was waiting for her.

He was sitting facing the door with two empty cups next to a ceramic jug of sake, a scowl indented into his face. "You're late."

Tsuyuki removed her shoes at the door. "Yeah." Unapologetically, she began striding past him towards the kitchen. "I'll get breakfast started."

Hibari shocked her when he grabbed her calf as she walked by, not in an intimate manner but in a rough, bruising kind of way. "Tetsu bought sake."

"You made Kusakabe-san buy _sake_ for you? An invalid? Really?" Tsuyuki asked in disbelief, still a little unnerved by his unusually warm hand on her leg. "And please let go of me."

Rolling his eyes, Hibari appeased her, his hand leaving her leg to reach for the bottle of sake, pouring out a cup. "Drink."

"At nine in the morning?"

It appeared that it hadn't occurred to Hibari that it wasn't generally a good idea to get drunk at the top of the morning, and he sniffed in a rather petulant manner, downing the cup smartly in one go. The tips of his ears, almost covered by tufts of black hair, turned a nice pinkish color that drew the corners of Tsuyuki's mouth up.

When Hibari Kyoya was flustered, he was adorable. The downside was that he didn't get flustered very often at all.

"In the evening," Hibari began again, his back facing Tsuyuki, "you will taste the sake for me."

Tsuyuki leaned on the doorjamb silently, studying the contours of Hibari's back as he sat impossibly, rigidly straight. His feet were bare, calloused, and tucked underneath himself properly.

She grinned. "Is this your way of trying to cheer me up?"

His reply was short and stern. "Foolish. I care not for such sentiments." He paused for a long time. "Tetsu merely purchased too much for one person."

Despite the brusqueness of his tone, Tsuyuki felt warm inside, and her mood lifted a little. "I see. I'll take you up on your offer, then. Thanks."

As if someone had lit him on fire, Hibari shot to his feet and, without another word, walked over to the doors leading to the garden, walking out and slamming the paper doors hard behind him. Tsuyuki stood there in the hallway for some time before shaking her head, smiling. She went to the kitchen and turned on the stove.

* * *

"May I take your order?" The cafe waiter was cute, Tsuyuki had to admit. He was young-looking, maybe a college student, dressed crisply in a pressed white button-down, black slacks, and a long black apron.

There was something about him that reminded her of Tsuna. Maybe it was the eyes.

Well, whatever it was, it didn't sit well with Tsuyuki, especially when she remembered exactly who she was meeting.

"I'll just have some..." She paid a cursory glance to the menu, choosing something at random. "...uh, coffee. A latte, I mean."

"Of course." The waiter smiled genially down at Tsuyuki. It didn't take a genius to note the subtly flirtatious undertones hovering around his lips as he spoke. "Are you meeting anyone?"

"Yes, actually." Tsuyuki gave the waiter a flat smile before digging her phone out of her pocket, staring at it blankly. It was as clear as a dismissal as anything, and the waiter quickly scurried away.

She really had no appetite for romance.

"Nagahara-san!"

Her stomach dropped as Kyoko rushed toward her, calling out _"The normal, please"_ while taking a seat opposite Tsuyuki.

"Nagahara-san, how are you?" Oh, was her smile bright. Tsuyuki nearly had to squint. "It's so good to see you!" Kyoko chirped enthusiastically.

She tried to smile. "Call me Tsuyuki. Please. And I'm...doing well." _As well as I can be_.

"I'm glad, Tsuyuki-san." Kyoko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before rummaging in her large satchel, pulling out a clear plastic folder stuffed to the brim with sticky notes and magazine clippings. Next to it was a pink journal labeled "Wedding Planning". "So, I've been paging through hundreds of bridal magazines with Haru, and I wanted to show you what I have in mind so far..."

Tsuyuki stared at the photos of pale pink flowers and chiffon cakes blankly, the images passing through her head as an overwhelming sense of guilt clogged her brain. _I love her fiancee. MY BOSS. HER HUSBAND. _

_HUSBAND._

Her heartbeat sounded painfully in her ears, beating and blocking out the sound of Kyoko chattering on, gesticulating wildly. Tsuyuki's glassy eyes caught sight of the beautiful silver ring on her finger, the diamond perched on the band catching the light filtering from the window.

"Oh my God, I can't do this anymore." The words spilled out before she could seal her mouth shut and lock her secrets away forevermore.

"Can't do what?" Kyoko halted in the midst of her struggle between chocolate or vanilla cupcakes.

"I'm in love with Boss."

There. The cat was let out of the bag, yowling and scratching its way out.

Tsuyuki was supposed to feel lighter. She was supposed to feel guiltless, but the fear and the suffocating shame remained.

She thought confessing before the wedding would make it all better, that she would put to rest these infernal feelings of hers and that she could continue being Almighty Nagahara Tsuyuki, Vongola Secretariat.

Hibari was right; she was foolish to think that such a thing would work.

Tsuyuki really and truly screwed up.

Kyoko's smile faded instantly, and her eyes gained a solemn gleam.

"I know."

* * *

A/N: The chapter is disastrously short, I know, but it was too good of a stopping point to resist. :P Sorry.

Some changes you might notice: chapter titles! Tell me if you like them, yeah?

Keep up with the AWESOME feedback you guys! And I'm glad there are some Tsuyato shippers out there!


	5. The Secretariat is Confused

**apologies. wrote this out in one sitting so it's a short one (again), but...at least you got a chapter?**

**also, I accidentally wrote this all out in first person before realizing that the story is in third, so if you spy any mistakes, please point them out to me! much appreciated!**

* * *

V. The Secretariat is Confused

(warning: chapter is nearing the threshold of M-rated?)

The reality of what Tsuyuki had just spluttered out in the heat of the moment as well as the gravity of Kyoko's words sank in rather quickly.

"Oh my God," she breathed, burying her face in her hands. "I can't believe this." _How could I have said that? And she knew all this time?_

Kyoko smiled faintly, leaning back in her seat unconcernedly. "I'm sorry. It was a bit cruel of me to put you through all of this." She took a sip of coffee. "But you can't begrudge me for being worried about Tsuna-kun with you hanging around him all of the time."

The image of sweet, angelic Kyoko suddenly crashed down before Tsuyuki. So Miss Perfect had her flaws after all.

"It was obvious, really." Her voice strained, Kyoko avoided her eyes as she flipped through a bridal magazine. "Anyone could tell that you were head over heels for my fiance."

Tsuyuki swallowed hard, ignoring the way her eyes burned with unshed tears and the way her heart felt like it was about to explode. A part of her was furious at Kyoko, but the other half just felt ashamed. She had pined after the same man, even though he was clearly besotted with another, for so many years. It was only right that she would be jealous and retaliate, but...still.

Tsuyuki was furious.

It was selfish to feel angry at this stage, but she couldn't help feeling wronged as she struggled to rein in her temper.

The words were difficult to form and even harder to push through her unwilling lips. "I'm sorry. For all these years."

Blinking, Kyoko sat up straight, tilted her chin up, and then down. Was she surprised? "Apology accepted."

Inhaling deeply, Tsuyuki continued. "I'm telling you all this now not in an attempt to interfere, but to tell you that I'm going to give up. Once and for all. This...this entire thing isn't right, and I recognize that."

Timidly, Kyoko smiled. "Thank you." It was clear that she didn't trust the secretary's resolve.

"Congratulations on your engagement." She stood, sliding out of her chair and gathering her things. "I think it'd be better for everyone if I...didn't involve myself any further."

Kyoko stood with the woman, extending a hand out to shake. "Truce?"

_No._ Cautiously, Tsuyuki backed off a few steps. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

As soon as she was out of sight of the cafe, Tsuyuki's feet carried me faster and faster, faster than she'd ever run before in heels. Her first thought was to head back to the apartment, but her body thought otherwise. She soon found herself in the Vongola underground base, running aimlessly through the building.

Speeding past Boss's office, Tsuyuki skittered through the metal hallway, rounding the corner on unstable footing. As she turned the next corner, here stiletto snapped, sending her crashing down to the floor. The foot with her one good shoe twisted as Tsuyuki landed with a bang. She cried out as her shoulder hit the hard metal wall.

The pain shooting up her leg and coursing down her back triggered an onslaught of tears that Tsuyuki wasn't expecting. Burying her head into her lap, Tsuyuki cradled her legs as she wept, sobs muffled in her skirt.

So much had happened in so little time. Her mind couldn't function properly. All she wanted to do was sit there in that lonely, dark hallway and cry her eyes out. Maybe then she could cope with everything.

"If you want to make noise, do it somewhere other than my front doorstep."

Almost jumping out of her bones, Tsuyuki lifted my head to meet Hibari's eyes, which trailed from her mussed-up hair and smudgy makeup to the broken shoe and my rapidly-swelling ankle, and then shooting back up to study the tear stains on her face. She looked like a complete mess, and she knew it very well.

Flustered, Tsuyuki wiped them away hurriedly, but the gesture strained her bruised shoulder and she winced visibly.

Hibari stood there in his doorway for several silent seconds, obviously deciding whether to leave the girl on his doorstep before exhaling in a sort of grudging manner. In the next moment, Tsuyuki found herself thrown roughly over Hibari's yukata-clad shoulder, shouting out when he jostled her arm. "Hibari, what are you doing?" She yelled indignantly, almost punching his back but thinking better of it.

He didn't still nor did he explain why he was toting her around like a sack of potatoes, choosing instead to easily cross the threshold of his house. They passed by the kitchen and further down the hallway. In the weeks that Tsuyuki had bustled around his house, she had never been past his kitchen and was always curious about what lay in its depths. The corridor went deeper than she thought it would, and she spied a neatly organized office from an open door as they passed by.

Tsuyuki couldn't snoop any longer, however, because as Hibari stopped at a door, she was stuck with facing a blank wall. The next thing she knew, she was thrown unceremoniously onto a feather-soft bed.

"Stay here." Hibari spun on his heel and exited the room, leaving Tsuyuki to marvel in wonder at the strange and sudden turn of events.

The tears had dried on her face in inky black streaks, but the secretary didn't notice as she drank in the sights around her. Tsuyuki found her current predicament a welcome distraction from the day's troubles, so she quickly threw herself into dissecting the room with her eyes.

The bed she was lying on was large enough for two and was sheathed completely in white. It sat in the center of the modestly-sized room, which was bare except for a closet and a door leading to an adjacent bathroom. Other than that, there was not a speck of grime or dust in the place.

The room lacked personality. It was dull, dreary, and positively yawn-inducing.

On cue, Tsuyuki yawned loudly just as Hibari strode in again, carrying a first-aid kit. Still wrapped in its plastic packaging, it obviously hadn't been used and was probably purchased by Tetsuya at an earlier date.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hibari pried the box open without much effort. Silently, he grabbed Tsuyuki's ankle, his long, cool fingers testing it in such a gentle way that she couldn't believe that it was _Hibari_ before her.

"What's with you?" she muttered doubtfully. "You'd normally be kicking me to the curb by now."

He stopped rotating her swollen ankle just to give Tsuyuki a warning glance. "It'd be too troublesome to leave you howling at my door. I do not wish for others to believe that I encourage crowding."

"Since when do you care about what other people think?" Tsuyuki winced when he slapped an ice pack on her ankle much harder than necessary, changing the subject swiftly. "Um, is this your room?"

Hibari gave her a look that clearly said that he thought she was an idiot. There was a beat of silence before he spoke again. "Take your dress off," he commanded abruptly.

Shocked, Tsuyuki covered her chest, leaning away from him immediately. Her heartbeat sped up like a frenzied jackrabbit, thumping at her ribcage, threatening to break through. "No! Are you out of your mind?"

His eyes darkening, Hibari leaned over her until he had planted both arms around Tsuyuki's body. Instinctively, she leaned away from his warmth but found I could not sink any lower into the pillows. His broad shoulders loomed threateningly over hers as he lowered his face to her level. Tsuyuki couldn't help noticing the way his lips were shaped: a heart-shaped upper lip and a sloping, slightly uneven lower lip, rosy in color. Her heartbeat sped up erratically, the oxygen leaving Tsuyuki's lungs in one fell swoop.

Hibari Kyoya was undeniably, panty-droppingly handsome, and in a way that terrified her out of her wits, Tsuyuki found her body responding to him.

Mind blanking at their frighteningly close proximity, Tsuyuki spat out the first thing she could think of: "We're not having rebound sex!"

Immediately, she slapped a hand over her mouth, a horrifyingly red blush creeping up her neck. _Oh God, first I spill the beans to Kyoko, and now I'm horny for Hibari? HIBARI? Am I really that desperate?_

Hibari surprised Tsuyuki by laughing, though it was more of a deriding bark than anything. His eyes crinkled at the corners for a distinct second before smoothing out into his usual solemn, superior glare. "Do you want your shoulder treated or not?"

"Oh." If possible, she reddened even further, ashamed and completely humiliated. _I really am stupid. And had I, for five seconds, thought that Hibari was sexy? There's definitely something wrong with me._

The niggling feeling in her stomach grew, however, when Hibari slid behind Tsuyuki and unzipped the back of her dress so tantalizingly slowly that it could have quite possibly been on purpose.

Tsuyuki couldn't help squirming despite herself. It wasn't that Hibari was a man; she'd had wounds treated by men before, and she'd been completely naked in front of some of them without another thought. It was purely medical, so Tsuyuki didn't care. She normally wasn't self-conscious at all.

But with Hibari, it was a different matter entirely. With a growing horror, Tsuyuki felt goosebumps form on her back as his cool hands unclipped the back of her bra with practiced ease, sliding both the strap and the left sleeve of her gray dress down her shoulder. His fingers ghosted over the inflamed spot on Tsuyuki's shoulder, applying balm to it and then a bandage. She could do nothing but accept his ministrations silently, quivering as she pressed the front of her dress tightly to her chest.

_You're just feeling extra needy because of Kyoko and Tsuna,_ Tsuyuki told herself firmly. _Do NOT embarrass yourself any more today._

Her heartbeat steadied slowly as Tsuyuki grew accustomed to Hibari's presence at her back, and she began breathing at a regular pace. Then, when she thought she had everything under control, Hibari's voice rumbled next to her ear, husky and weirdly teasing. "Am I making you nervous?"

All her inhibitions snapping, Tsuyuki uttered a feral growl, whirling around to face him, not caring that the bandage that he'd just plastered onto her back ripped in the process. With an audacity that she hadn't even realized she'd possessed, Tsuyuki grabbed hold of the back of his neck and smashed her lips to his.

Their teeth clacked together and their noses mashed in a very unappealing way, but to her surprise, Hibari responded for about a half-second, the tip of his tongue barely touching hers before he wrested himself away.

There was a gleam in his eyes that Tsuyuki had never seen before, and she wasn't sure how to interpret it.

His hair mussed and clothes rumpled, he almost looked...wild.

_Is he angry? Is he going to kill me?_ Quickly, Tsuyuki scanned the room for any potential weapons, but to no avail. The nearest thing available was a fluffy pillow, but it wouldn't deter him in the least.

The sheen in his eyes was definitely one of irritation, and it only got clearer as he leaned close again, not letting Tsuyuki break eye contact. "Take this as a lesson, Miss Secretary: I am _never_ rebound."

Thoroughly embarrassed at her lack of restraint and her total impropriety, Tsuyuki swallowed loudly, horrified at her actions for the millionth time that day.

His mouth twitched for a split second before he turned his back to Tsuyuki. "You may use this room for the night. Please, do try to keep it in your pants, Miss Secretary." The mockery in his tone was unmistakable, as was the scorn in his eyes.

Astounded, she grabbed the pillow next to her and threw it at him furiously. It hit the door as it closed with a loud thwack before falling to the floor.

He was totally playing her.

Hibari Kyoya was poking fun at her distress _the entire time_.

_The bastard._

_The dirty, mean, oddly conniving bastard._

_Since when did he have it in him?_

Tsuyuki collapsed back on the pillows, shoulder, ankle, and heart aching. Her heart continued to spatter from Hibari's antics, but when she closed her eyes, she could still only see Tsuna's face.

_I am so confused._

* * *

A/N: EXPLANATIONS! _READ BEFORE GIVING ME A FLAMING REVIEW OF FURY AND ANGUISH!_

So I know I really went out on a limb on this one, but I don't think it's as OOC as you must be thinking. (I do agree that it's a bit out of the blue though.) Here is my reasoning:

TYL!Hibari is, as Tsuyuki put it, pantydroppingly sexy. I imagine him as a man comfortable in his sexuality, which is quite possible considering that KHR never expanded on that aspect. He knows what turns women on and he has the ability to use that to his advantage. He probably views sex as carnal pleasure rather than an act of love, which is NOT what he is instigating in this chapter. Yes, he's teasing Tsuyuki on purpose, but it's not because he especially likes her or wants to flirt with her or something. He thinks she's stupid for pining over a man whose heart is lost to someone else. He thinks she's stupid for pining for _anyone_ in general, and it amuses him in a sort of annoyingly superior way to make fun of her emotional sensitivity and distress.

Hibari does not care for love. He values certain people, but in the end, they are expendable. He only protects himself. He does not think true love really exists, nor does it have any merit to him. So he tends to treat it lightly.

On the flip side, Tsuyuki is going bonkers right now. She spills the beans because she's ashamed of what she's been doing, and she wants to pretend that it's all okay and that she's the good guy but in the end she can't reconcile her wrongdoings with her morals. Neither can Kyoko; she's a nice person, but love (and jealousy, for that matter) does things to people. (So please don't be too mad at Kyoko! She's not perfect and she's not meant to be, and I don't think the manga really expounded upon that enough, so I did.)

Going further, Tsuyuki at this point is super volatile. She's hurt, physically and psychologically, not to mention she has all this pent-up sexual frustration from years of an unrequited love. Hibari notices this and finds it strangely fascinating, deciding to goad her as a joke and see how far she'll go. And who knows, maybe he's attracted to her a little bit (but neither of them know that yet).

On another note, several weeks have already passed since Tsuyuki was (temporarily) demoted from her position.

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**All right, if you've gotten this far, congratulations. I'm done with the spiel. Go ahead with your flaming squids of anger now; in fact, I'm really interested to hear about what you guys have to say. Too far, too fast? On another note, the rating *may* go up in the future. What do you think about that?**


End file.
